Distribution of the Node Degree in MANETs

This paper derives analytical expressions for the probability of link availability and the node degree distribution in mobile ad hoc networks. The expressions (1) account for system parameters such as the node density, node transmission range, and the radio channel fading; and (2) hold for an arbitrary mobility model with initially uniformly distributed spatial nodes that are allowed to move only within a certain bounded area. We validate the efficacy of our expressions through simulations of the SMS mobility model. Our results reveal that the node degree distribution follows a binomial distribution regardless of the initial distribution of nodes’ location. The results presented in this paper are useful in studying the connectivity of mobile nodes, in estimating the capacity of mobile ad hoc networks, and provide a good understanding of the impact of fundamental network parameters in the presence of mobility.